


Drop

by alecmagnuslwb



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Asexual Raphael Santiago, Fluff, Isabelle plays matchmaker with two of her exes, M/M, Other, non-binary Meliorn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:26:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26104918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alecmagnuslwb/pseuds/alecmagnuslwb
Summary: He doesn’t just fall in love with Meliorn. It’s sudden, instantaneous, like a 400 foot drop.
Relationships: Meliorn/Raphael Santiago
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	Drop

**Author's Note:**

> Writer’s month day 25, prompt: Drop
> 
> This is actually set in my [New Year's Eve AU](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21966877/chapters/52418611) , which doesn’t have to be read for this to make sense. It is however a super fun fic about a lot of great couples that I’m proud of if you want to give it a shot!

Ever since they broke up Isabelle has been determined to find Raphael love. She’s insistent upon it, and while he knows and trusts her enough to know that she’d never set him up with someone who wouldn’t understand who he is and would hurt him, he does wish she’d just drop it already.

“It can’t be worse than dating me,” she smirks as she tries to sell her latest potential partner. Raphael just rolls his eyes, but agrees with her with his own responding smirk.

A dozen or so dates after that statement though, he’s starting to think she’s wrong about that. While none of the dates have been outwardly rude, they’ve all ranged from pretty and dumb to outright boring. Somehow though she does however talk him into giving her one last chance.

He’s skeptical when Izzy insists she let her introduce him to another one of her exes. Considering Izzy has never been one to gravitate towards one personality type he assumes the only thing they’ll have in common is the fact that they both used to date Izzy.

Which as much as he cares for her now that they’re no longer mixing romance into what they have he doesn’t think that’s enough to build a solid foundation for a relationship on.

“You’ll be perfect together I just know it,” she says linking her arm with his pulling him along into the bar she’s forcing him to meet this person at. “Fate itself made sure I dated and ruined my relationships with both of you so that I could guide you to one another, I can feel it!”

“If you say so,” he grumbles as she practically pushes him inside the bar making a b-line for a somewhat crowded table in the corner. They’re immediately greeted by the person Raphael assumes is Izzy’s ex. She pulls away from him launching at the other person who immediately lifts her off the ground and twirls her around.

She laughs as she’s set back on the ground tugging them along and over to Raphael who stand with his arms crossed.

“Meliorn this is my darling Raphael,” she says gesturing between them. Raphael rolls his eyes at her as Meliorn holds out a hand to shake. “Raphael this is the only person I know with better taste than me Meliorn.”

Raphael takes the offered hand and Meliorn gives a firm, strong shake squeezing twice before letting go. Objectively he can see the appeal, can understand why Izzy dated them. Meliorn is beautiful with a long dark braid to one side of their head a single streak of blue running through it, there’s a floral tattoo of some sort peeking out from the low cut of their silky shirt and their pants are well tailored. Raphael can appreciate anyone with a sense of fashion, he’s quite proud of his own after all.

He’s still skeptical of how they’ll get along though no matter how much Isabelle talks about fate and her divine mission to unite them. Isabelle expectedly is beaming, seemingly planning their wedding in her already as she pulls them over to a table with a scattering of others that she knows.

Raphael is content with just listening at first as Isabelle and Meliorn catch up, but eventually her attention shifts to the other end of the table and Meliorn’s focus centers in on Raphael.

Conversation starts a little abrupted both making jokes about how high maintenance of a girlfriend Izzy was. Her focus shifts back to them for a second giving them both a sharp glare to which they both innocently smile back. Things flow easy from there, very quickly Raphael has to admit maybe Izzy was onto something.

They make plans to meet up after that night and soon enough Raphael is spending every free moment he can with Meliorn. They don’t put a label on it at first, but eventually Meliorn takes his hand and starts calling him their boyfriend and Raphael introduces Meliorn as his partner.

Outwardly they’re seemingly opposites. Raphael grumpy and sarcastic while Meliorn is Zen and witty, Raphael fashionable in dark colors and embroidered jackets and Meliorn stunning in flowing white shirts and whimsical skirts, Raphael is dark humor and quiet intelligence whereas Meliorn is light laughter and a fountain of loud knowledge about anything and everything.

The differences balance them out and give them new things to learn but inwardly they have more in common than Raphael could have ever guessed. They both value family above most else, both found and blood related, have extreme passion in their careers, prefer quiet nights in to any other activity and yes even their shared fondness for Isabelle is real.

Above all of that though the most important thing is the respect they have for one another. Raphael never asks Meliorn to present themselves other than any way they wish and while Meliorn is incredibly affectionate they never dare push past a hard boundary that Raphael sets.

It doesn’t take long for Raphael to find himself wholly and completely in love.

It happens between one moment and the next over a quiet night in of teaching Meliorn how to handmake another dish. One second he’s plating the food they’ve quietly worked on for the past hour and a half and the next he’s looking up at Meliorn’s soft smile and realizing he’s in love.

It’s not a fall like the movies and fairy tales always talk about, it’s more like a drop. A realization so stark, so hard that it crash lands in his mind for a full minute leaving him frozen in place. It’s instantaneous, sudden, and somehow simple; a 400-foot drop directly into love over a slightly wobbly candlelit table in his tiny apartment.

“I love you,” he says before he’s even finished dishing out the last of the food on Meliorn’s plate. Meliorn doesn’t miss a beat, doesn’t leave him hanging or dropping into nothing.

“I love you too,” they say simple and easy picking up their fork and digging in, catching Raphael like it’s nothing at all as he reaches the bottom of his drop.

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr: [alecmagnuslwb](https://alecmagnuslwb.tumblr.com/)


End file.
